The Challenge

Web3 merchandise was stuck in a dead-end: either purely digital NFTs with no physical presence, or basic streetwear with token-gated access that felt like a gimmick. There was no compelling integration that made the digital and physical components genuinely enhance each other. Metaverse projects needed merch that reflected the innovation of their digital worlds while providing tangible value in the real one.

The Solution

Created the Metapolis Citizen T-shirt collection—a phygital merch experiment that bridges NFTs, AI-generated art, and augmented reality. Each design was generated using AI and refined in After Effects, then printed on premium streetwear. Owners of the corresponding NFT unlock a 50% discount on the physical shirt and gain resale rights, creating a hybrid ownership model. The shirts feature WebAR triggers, allowing anyone to scan them and unlock animated AR content that brings the static design to life.

Creative Approach

Used AI tools (Midjourney/Stable Diffusion) to generate surreal, metaverse-inspired artwork, then refined compositions in After Effects for print-ready quality. The AR layer was designed to extend the static artwork into kinetic animation—patterns pulse, colors shift, and elements react to camera movement. The NFT-to-merch pipeline was structured as a membership model: digital ownership unlocks physical product access, creating a feedback loop between virtual and real-world assets.

The Impact

The collection proved that phygital merch could be more than a marketing stunt—it demonstrated a viable model for Web3 brands to create tangible products that respect both digital ownership and physical craftsmanship. The AR component turned each shirt into a conversation piece, while the NFT discount mechanism created genuine utility for token holders beyond speculation.

OUT OF STOCK

Contact ivan@vetrov.fr for more information and collaborations